Fish lure



1952 M. J. HABERKORN 2,613,469

FISH LURE Filed March 6, 1950 a Z4 2 /0 /a M J 7 49 /7 27 zo NVENTOR. Mfifhswifiaarkurn Patented Oct. 14, 1952 UNIT ED STATES PATENT" yjOF'FlCEi. I I I {inmate If IQ- E Matthew Jz llaberkorn, Oak'l arhI llr' I Application March 6, 1950, Serial No. 1 4 7', s 90 The present invention relates ingeneraltolfish lures and the principal object of'the'invention is to design a new and improved artificial bait which is particularly adapted -to ica'sting and trolling. 1

Another object is to provide a novel fish lure of the plug type in which the barbedend ofthe hook is normally arranged so as' to prevent any entanglement with weeds or the like as the lure is drawn through the water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved fish lure in which the hook is concealed in the lure as it is drawn through the water and is automatically ejected when a fish strikes the line. H

A still further object is to provide a fish lure which is economical to manufacture, simple to employ, and reliable in action.

Other objects and features will be apparent during the course of the following description which together with the accompanying drawing, discloses the invention. Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top view of the improved fish lure;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a, half section of the body;

Fig. 3 is a top view of the leaf spring; while Fig. 4 is a side view of a modification showing a double hook arrangement.

As shown in the drawings the improved fish lure comprises an elongated body portion generally indicated at I shaped to resemble a minnow and suitably colored as desired. The body may be made of any suitable material but preferably is made of molded plastic material comprising two similar half sections 2 and 3 joined together and having a dished front portion 4. A deflecting plate 5 is anchored in the body as shown and causes the fish lure to be drawn through the water with an erratic and diving action attractive to the fish. The eyelet 6 on the plate 5 serves for the attachment of the fish line to the lure. The two half sections 2 and 3 are cemented together at their fiat contacting surfaces I and 8 reinforced by embedded pins 9 and III at opposite ends. The pins 9 and I0 may also be formed of the molded material itself if desired. An elongated slot II formed by oppositely disposed recesses in the half sections 2 and 3, extends for the major length of the body I and through the top and bottom thereof. This slot II serves to conceal the hook arrangement.

A pivot pin I2 which is embedded in the front end of the body and extends across the slot II,

serves as a pivot for the hook I3 the shank por- 2' Claims. (01. 43-35) tion of which normally protrudes as shown outside the body andabove the slot I I. The barbed end I4 of the hook is normally concealed within the slot I I but is arranged for swinging movement or ejection downward and outward below the slot II. The pivoted end of shook I3 :has a portion wrapped once around pivot I2 andl'an extension formed at right angles thereto comprises a latch member I 5 normally biased against a stop I6 formed in the body section}; The free end of latch I5 is preferably curvedslightly yat the point it engages the stop I6. In orderito nor--. mally bias the latch I5 in the position shown a leaf spring I! is provided, the free endof which exerts its tension upwardly in .slot IIpagainst the, curved end of latch- I5, whilethe opposite end I8 is firmly anchored in the half-sections 2 and 3. Atop viewof the leaf springJ'I is shown more clearly in Fig.3. The-leaf spring; I? is so shaped and arranged that when the end of latch I5 is moved slightly awayand to the left from stop I6 the-spring will exert its power in the opposite direction against the latch to snap it into the dotted position shown and against the forward end of slot II.

In use, the fish lure is drawn through the water with the hook arranged as shown in Fig. 2, the shank portion I3 protruding upwardly and the barbed end concealed within the slot II so as to prevent entanglement with weeds or other objects. The tension of leaf spring I! is great enough so that light pressure against the hook caused by brushing against objects will not cause ejection of the hook. Moreover the fish line rides through the water with the hook shank uppermost precluding accidental operation of the hook. When a fish strikes the line it closes its upper jaw upon the hook shank I3 and since only a slight movement is required to cause the latch I5 to move away from its stop I6, the spring leaf I1 is effective to snap the latch to the left, thereby rotating the hook I3 downward about pivot I2 and through the slot II. This snap action is effective to eject the barbed end I4 of the hook out of the lower end of the slot I I and into the lower jaw of the fish thereby effectively hooking it.

The relationship of the latch arm I5 and the spring member I! is such that the free extremity arrangement of Fig, 2 is duplicated, with a separate hookbeing ejected from oppositeisides of, the slot in the fish lure. As shown a; second hook is provided the shank 20 protruding from the bottom of the slot II and the barbed end 2| concealed within the slot. This slot I I is necessarily, 15

made somewhat wider than that of Fig. 2 maccommodate the duplicate set of hooks which are arranged in side by side relationships The. pivot 22 serves for hook 20, and the latch 23 is biased against a common stop l6 also serving latch Hi.

The spring leaf 24 is arranged above spring I! and isanchored at its,end;2.5: inthe frontendofbody section 2;. The'antion'is thesameasdescribedain connection. with. Fig. 2: except that, a fiShz striking the-.lure cause. ejection of either: barb end-1:4 or 2!; or. both, and thereby be; more.' effectively hookedain either jawsor bothijaws: Further-modifications willybe apparent tothose skillediin the antiand itisz desired; therefore, that the invention belimited only: bytherscope: of the appended claims The invention; having been described, what is claimedis: a r 1 In a fishlure, aibody'portion having" an el'on gated, slot extending through 0pposite="sid'es of said body; a hook pivoted in one end of said slot having-a barbed end normally" concealed- Within the-otherend of said slot, theshank of said hook normally protruding fromone side of said slot, a latch arm formed on the pivoted end of said hook, a stop-within the slot, and a spring member comprisinga leaf spring anchored in said body at one end of said body at one end of said slot and having a free end portion normally tensioned against the free end of said latch arm to hold the hook shank exposed, said latch arm being movable relative to said spring member to a position whereby said spring member acts upon said latch arm to cause the barbed portion of said hook to be ejected from said slot when a fish strikes said hook shank.

2. In a fish lure, a body portion having an elongated slot extending through opposite sides thereof, a hook pivoted in one end of said slot and having a barbed end normally concealed within the other end of said slot, the shank portion of said back normally protruding from one side of said slot, a latch arm formed integral with said hook and; extending: at an angle from the pivoted end 01 the hook alstop arranged within the slot, and

' a spring member comprising a leaf spring an- J HABERKORN.

. REFERENCES CITED "The; following references are off recordin the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES. PA'I'ENYI'S I Date Number Name.

1,173,694 Witty Feb. 29; 1916 1348;670 Vi'ehweger Aug. 3, 1920 1 ,462,949 Wall's- July 24, 1923 1,694,697 Bei'd'atsch Dec. 11, 1928 2,381,231 Spear Aug; 7, I945 

